Binder



l. sPlNNER Oct. 13, 1942.

BINDER Filed March 25, 1940 Patented Oct. 13, 1942'v BINDER IsidoreSpinner, Chicago,y lll., assignor to Plastic Binding Corporation,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March 25, 1940,Serial No. 325,692

Claims. (Cl. 281-25) This invention relates to binders, moreparticularly to mechanical binders of the type comprising alongitudinally extending back from -which a plurality of spaced 'curledfingers extend, the curled fingers. constituting binding rings or loops.The rings are adapted to be passed'through aligned registeringperforations in a stack of pages to bind the pages into bock form. A

When the teeth of the binder are inserted through the alignedperforations in the stack of pages to be bound the back of the comb-likestructure constitutes the means for holding the teeth together. Wherethe back is of considerable width it may interferewith the turning ofthe pages through an arc of almost 360, as may sometimes be desired.This difficulty is sometimes overcome by forming the binder with theback extending radially inwardly or outwardly of the binder so that itlies in a plane parallel to lan adjacent sheet` 'The machinery requiredfor forming the back in Ithis manner is more complicated than thatrequired for forming a binder wherein the back is not bent radially and,in addition, the time required for forming such a binder is increased byreason ofthe needv of an additional operation.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a binderhaving the advantages of a binder of the above mentioned character, thatis, one wherein the back extends outwardly of the binder, and yet notsubject to the increased cost. This result is obtained by' forming thebinder with a back'that extends tangentially of the rings, rather thanradially thereof. A tangentially extending back .can be obtained in avery simple manner. In accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention the comb for forming the binder is curled from the free endsof the fingers towards the back, rather than in the opposite directionas was heretofore practiced. The fingers are curled to form rings orloops extending through an angle exceeding 360, and the back is notcurled at all. The curling operation stops when the lingers formcomplete rings and before therback is curled. 'Ihis not exerts aresilient pressure against the portion of the loop overlapped thereby. Aliquid which acts as an adherent may then be paintedy over the edges ofthe tooth Ain contact with the part of the tooth overlapped thereby toadhere thev two together.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a binder ofthe above mentioned charonly produces a binder wherein the back eX-l-itends tangentially of the rings'but, also, reduces the time required forcurling the binder.

After the binder has been formed in the manner above set forth thefingers may be uncurled` to receive a stack of pages having alignedperforations, and will recurl under their own elasticity to resume thetubular form. In the preembodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is another longitudinal view taken at right angles to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional View. taken along line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an end portion ot the binder of Figure1;

Figure 5'is a diagrammatic View illustrating the manner of rolling thebinder of Figure `1;`

Figure 6 isa sectional view through the end of a book bound by thebinder of Figure 1 but before completion of the binding operation; and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of a the book bound inaccordance with the present invention. y

Reference may now` be had more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3. 'Ihebinder is formed from a piece of material that is stamped or cut out toform a comb comprising a continuous flat back portion from which aplurality of parallel fingers extend. In the completed comb the back isi1- lustrated at I ,and the fingers at 2. If desired, the back I may bevery much narrower than illustrated, even less than half the widthillustrated. The iingersvare uniformly spaced apart and are curled toform rings, as may be seen in Figure 3, 'All of the rings 2-2 areconcentric. 'I'he fingers are comparatively wide and spaced apart adistance equal to the width of a finger, as may be seen from Figure 1.The outer ends 4 of the fingers are curved, as are also the spacesbetween adjacent fingers at the back, as indicated at 5. When the combis curled the binder ferred embodiment the free endof each tooth takeson a cylindrical form, each finger being curled convolutely upon itselfthrough an angle exceeding 360 so that the free end l of each fingeroverlaps a portion of the loop, as may be seen from Figures 3 and 4.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated, diagrammatically, one manner of formingthe binder in that construction wherein the binder is made ofthermo-plastic material. The blank for forming the binder is indicatedat I0. The preferred material is such that it becomes plastic whenheated so that it may be formed to the desired shape. This shape isretained when the material cools. Suitable thermoplastic material suchas, for instance, Celluloid, pyroxylin, or the various other plastics ofnitro-cellulose, cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, or the vinol typesof plastics may be used. The blank rests on a flexible sheet I5 upon aheated table I6. The sheet I5 is rolled around a mandrel I'I and passesaround a rod I8, the end at being held fixed and the opposite end I5being held taut. The mandrel II and the rod IB roll from right to leftupon the table I6 to curi the binder. A machine for thus forming abinder is illustrated in the pending application of Christian B. Nelsonand Isidore Spinner, Serial No. 91,090, led July 17, 1936, to whichreference may be had. In making a binder such as is illustrated inFigure l the blank is placed upon the flexible sheet I5 with the roundededges d of the fingers directed towards the mandrel Il instead of awayfrom the mandrel, as in the Nelson and Spinner application abovereferred to. The apparatus is rolled until the center of the mandrel IIis adjacent and above the inner edge 5 of the back I but the back is notcurled.

The binder of Figures 1 and 2 is considerably more flexible in bending,than it would be if the back Il were curled around the fingers. Becauseof the greater flexibility there is less likelihood of breaking orcracking of the back either before or after the binder has been insertedin a stack of pages to be bound.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a stack of pages 25, including covers 26and 2l, bound by the binder of Figure 1. The stack of pages has a row ofaligned perforations through which the fingers 2 extend. The bindermaybe inserted through the ngers by use of a machine such as is shown inthe United States patent to Nelson et al., No. 2,108,136, issuedFebruary 15, 1938, and in accordance with the method of operationdescribed in that patent. To bind the book the two covers `Ii--ZI 'arepreferably adjacent one another, as illustrated in Figure 6. The lowercover 2l may then be swung through an are of substantially 360 so thatit lies over the top sheet 28 and constitutes a cover therefor. At thistime the back I lies between the cover 21 and one end sheet 28. The backI holds the rings of the binder while at the same time permittingflexing of the book without stressing the binder. The pages of the bookmay be .turned through an angle approximately 360.

When the binder is made of thermo-plastic material, such as above setforth, the ends 4 of the fingers may be adhered to the adjacent part ofthe loop. This may be done merely by holding the book vertically, withthe binder horizontal and lowermost, and dipping the lower end of thebinder into a suitable adherent solution. The preferred solution is onewhich includes a soluble base which is a solvent for the material of thebinder. In the case of a Vinol binder, one suitable material to be usedfor adhering the teeth to the back is vinci-chloride mixed withvinolacetate. This material is a solvent for the VinoL As the solventevaporates the material dissolved thereby solldifles and binds theoverlapped part of the loop.

The binder hereinshown may, lf desired, be made on a machine such as isshown in the pending application of Harold G. Barrett, Serial No.310,081. If made on this machine the fingers of the blank are ofsufficient length to form the shape illustrated in Figure 3, theoperation or the machine being stopped each time that the binder hasbeen curled to that shape, and before the back I is curled.

While I have here spoken of a binder of thermoplastic material, which isthe preferred material, the invention is not limited to the use of thismaterial. If desired any other types of material may beused as, forinstance, spring steel or the like.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have hereshown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is,however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative ofthe principles of the invention. What I `consider new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a binder for insertion into astack of sheets provided with aligned perforations along one of theiredges, said binder being of resilient material preformed tosubstantially the ultimate shape it is to have after complete insertioninto the stack and including a back and -a plurality of teeth integralwith the back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof, saidteeth being curved to constitute a plurality of closed substantiallycircular loops adapted to be flexed, within their elastic limite-.out oftheir normal. positions for receiving the sheets between them andautomatically recurled under their own resiliency to pass through thealigned perforations, said back projecting so as to lie in a planesubstantially tangent to the loop and parallel to the plane of anadjacent sheet.

2. A book of perforated sheets provided with aligned perforations alongone of their edges and a binder for said sheets, said binder being ofplastic elastic material and including a back and a plurality of teethintegral with the back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof,said teeth being curved to constitute a plurality of substantiallycircular loops passed through the aligned perforations to bind thesheets, the free end of each tooth overlapping the loop and curved alongsubstantially the same curvature as the rest of the teeth, the back ofthebinder projecting tangentially from the periphery of the loop, andthe free ends of the teeth being adhered to the portion of the loopoverlapped thereby.

3. A book of perforated sheets having a binding comprising a backbonehaving a plurality of lingers extending therefrom, said fingers beinggenerally circular ring-shaped and formed to extend through theperforations of said sheets, and said backbone lying in a planeextending tangentially of the rings defined by saidy fingers.

4. A binding device comprising a comb-shaped member having a backboneand a plurality of integral fingers extending therefrom, said fingersbeing shaped to provide a plurality of substantially circular ringslying in parallel planes perpendicular to said backbone, said backbonelying stack and including a back and a plurality of teeth integral withthe back and extending from one longitudinal edge thereof,v said teethbeing curved to constitute a plurality of substantially circular loopsadapted to be liexed, within their 9,209,150: u mamme tangential: to therings at their Juneelastic limit,-out of their normal positions forreceiving the sheets between them and automatically recurled under theirown resiliency to pass through the aligned perlorations. the free end oieach tooth extending beyond-the back and in contact with the adjacentpart of the loop along.

a curve having substantially the same center as the rest of the tooth,each loop extending through an arc greater than 360, said back being onthe outside oi said loops and lying in a plane substantially tangent tosaid loops.

l xsmonn srmmm.

